Oouo
The Oouo are a primitive arachnid species from the planet Aauu, where they reside underground beneath the inhospitable wastelands of the Uiuo Peninsula. They are fiercely hostile to outsiders, and as a result, very little is known about their society. Biology The Oouo are distant genetic relatives of the Aauui, the dominant intelligent lifeform of Aauu, sharing features of their large, insectoid, multi-limbed bodies. They are however distinctly more spider-like than their "cousins", having multiple eyes and more segmented bodies. Oouo have large, monstrous claws on their forelimbs, perfect for digging through soil and attacking prey but not suited for fine manipulation or tool use like the Aauuis' hands. They have excellent eyesight in darkness and are able to accurately sense movement via vibrations in the earth, but don't see nearly as well in daylight. As one might expect from giant spiders, Oouo have large web sacs and are capable of weaving webs that are not only extremely strong, but also nearly invisible to non-Oouo eyes. Using these webs, they set traps on the surface and wait underground until some unfortunate creature wanders into them, at which point they emerge and have dinner. Culture While Oouo appear to be relatively intelligent, being capable of setting traps and herding prey into them, they are extremely hostile to other races, be they Aauui or offworlder. For reasons unknown, any and all attempts to communicate or negotiate with them are met with fierce and unrelenting violence. Because of their inherent hostility and underground life, observations about their society are rare, but it is clear that fight in large groups. Presumably they also live in these groups, but no one has entered an Oouo lair and come back alive. Strangely, Oouo have been observed burying the bodies of their victims during some kind of rituals, suggesting they have something akin to a religion. Oouo communicate among themselves by clicking their mandibles, but no one has yet to translate their language. The word "Oouo", meaning "earth-dwellers" and also "devils", comes from the Aauuan language, and the arachnids' own name for themselves is unknown. History Nothing is known about the history of the Oouo. The Aauui first encountered them in the ancient past as they began to spread across Aauu's continent, but were thrashed every time they tried to exert their dominance over the Uiuo Peninsula. Believing the dangerous creatures haunting the area to be some kind of demons, the Aauui ceased their attempts to take the peninsula and eventually began to consider it taboo. Thus, the Oouo fell into legend as a kind of bogeyman, but were never seen entering Aauui lands, seemingly content with their little piece of the world. Like everything else on the planet, the Oouo most likely suffered during the natural disasters wrought about by "the Wrath" 112 years ago, but since they live underground and were already used to inhospitable environments, they must have fared better than the Aauui living on the plains and coasts. When the depopulated Aauu become a colony planet, many offworlders tried to claim the Uiuo Peninsula and establish settlements there, against the warnings of the Aauui. Soon enough, the settlers were massacred and driven off by the Oouo, as hostile as always. Attempts at peaceful contact and trade with the race also ended in disaster, and like the natives before them, the settlers ultimately gave up on living on the peninsula. When borders were being drawn, no colony nation dared lay claim to Oouo territory. Category:Aauu Category:Species